Fourth Raadsaal, Parliament building in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The Fourth Raadsaal is a parliament building in Bloemfontein featuring late 19th-century Victorian architecture with ornamental details and a clock tower on President Brand Street. The structure serves as the meeting place for the Free State Provincial Legislature and displays the formal building style of that period.
Construction began in 1890 under architect Lennox Canning and initially served as the legislative assembly for the Orange Free State Republic. The building was occupied by British forces during the Second Anglo-Boer War and repurposed as a military hospital for several years.
The main assembly hall preserves original woodwork and furnishings from the 1890s that reflect how South African legislators once gathered and made decisions. These details show the formal style in which business was conducted during that era.
The building functions as an active legislative center and visitors can explore the interior through guided tours. Allow adequate time to view the architectural details and historic chambers.
During the Second Anglo-Boer War the structure was temporarily converted into a field hospital, marking a dramatic shift in its function during wartime. This dual purpose in the building's past shows how the region experienced sudden upheaval.
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